Mumbai: Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), a table tennis league, has prolonged its partnership with IndianOil as the title sponsor for the forthcoming season. The league is scheduled to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai from August 22 to September 7.
The 2024 edition of UTT will feature eight teams for the first time. The two new franchisees, Jaipur Patriots and Ahmedabad SG Pipers will be joining the likes of defending champions Goa Challengers, Chennai Lions, Dabang Delhi TTC, U Mumba TT, Puneri Paltan Table Tennis and PBG Bengaluru Smashers, in the quest to lift the coveted trophy.
“We are delighted to have IndianOil come back as our title sponsor for UTT 2024. Having one of the largest and most trusted companies in India certainly reinsures our efforts toward growing the sport,” said UTT promoters Vita Dani and Niraj Bajaj.
IndianOil is India’s highest-ranked Energy PSU in Fortune ‘Global 500’ ranking for 2023 (rank 94), with a mammoth turnover of ₹9,34,953 crores (financial year 2022-23).
As part of the sponsorship, IndianOil will enjoy visibility on live broadcasts along with a strong digital and on-ground presence. The IndianOil branding will be prominently displayed on Court Floor Stickers, courtside LED boards and around the Umpire Chair. The sponsorship includes exclusive branding of timeouts as “IndianOil Time Out”. Furthermore, each tie will feature a distinctive IndianOil-branded award, emphasizing their dedication to excellence across all facets of the sport.
Speaking about the association, IndianOil executive director (corporate communications & branding) Sandeep Sharma said: “Continuing with our commitment to supporting Indian sports and nurturing talent across various disciplines, IndianOil is proud to partner with Season 5 of Ultimate Table Tennis. We are more than happy to make a meaningful contribution to the growth of table tennis in India and hope to see a thriving sporting culture in India through this association.”
The competition format has undergone a slight change this year. The teams will be divided into two groups of four teams each. Each franchisee will continue to compete in five ties during the league stage, facing all other teams within their respective group once, alongside two randomly selected teams from the opposing group, determined through a draw.
